Swap Meet
by SheShouldHaveBeenaSon
Summary: Post-OST. Elizabeth submits to the strains of her husband's duties aboard the Ducthman & sets out to re-join Captain Jack Sparrow's new crew... but a chance meeting between Angelica Teach and William Turner drastically alters everything.
1. When You're on the Losing End

**DISCLAIMER: I unfortunately do not own Pirates of the Caribbean.  
>Also, a little history lesson. Upon watching the fourth installment of the franchise, I realized how much alike Angelica Teach and William Turner are, in aspects that will become more apparent as the story unfurls. So I wondered what might happen if they were to meet, and there you have it, the backbone of the story.<strong>

**The title of the story is taken from the Nirvana song of the same name.  
>The title of the first chapter is taken from the Neil Young song, 'The Losing End (When You're On).'<strong>

**C**HAPTER **O**NE:

When You're on the Losing End

"Elizabeth," he started tentatively, "it'd taste a lie to say that things feel the same between us. You've been acting strangely all day; is there something… wrong?"

It had been ten years since William Turner had last seen his wife. He had been out on the untamable waters, controlling the _Flying Dutchman_ and all of the duties that were synonymous with it, and he was bound by his obligations to usher those deceased at sea to the other side. Will was granted one day per decade to walk upon the shores to see his beloved Elizabeth Swann, and the previous visit had led to the conception of their son… whom both parents had seen fitting to dub as Jack. Elizabeth had sent Jack to a boys' boarding school in London, determined to see him an erudite and successful man, and she had quickly grown weary of the tedium and loneliness that surrounded the wretched island on which she resided.

"Will…" she shifted uncomfortably, tugging on the fluffed white sleeves of the loose-fitting blouse she wore. "It's… it's just so difficult… being held captive by this piece of land."

Will smiled in his warm, charming manner and asked, "Is that all? You have the _Empress_; you don't have to stay here. Only a day every ten years, the same as for me."

Elizabeth didn't return the gesture of cordiality. Her dark eyes locked his in a solemn grip. "It isn't a matter of having a ship… it is a matter of having no place to go. I find myself on deck, on the waters, and yet I don't feel the rush and the freedom I used to… because the freedom no longer has a purpose. Don't you see? There is no more excitement in it. My father is long gone, Norrington along with him, and I see my husband but once a decade. Our Jack is off at school, which is best for him, but I have nothing of substance with me any longer. I feel useless, Will, and I'm losing my mind."

"What are you saying, Elizabeth?"

"I'm saying that… ever since… **it** happened… this has felt more like a burden than a marriage."

Will's face blanched, and if he had had a heart, he was sure it would've temporarily stopped beating. His eyes darted around all areas of her face, trying to fully comprehend what he had just been told. "Of course it has, but we love each other, and that is what shall get us through the years. One day with you is worth more than eternity with anyone else! That is… you do still… love me… do you not?" William finally asked, exasperatedly.

Elizabeth sighed and looked off into the distance before returning her gaze upon her husband. "Of course I do… I always will. But I am not the same woman I was in the days of Port Royal. I can no longer pretend that these saccharine emotions and these quixotic expectations of ladylike behavior are what attract me. The _Black Pearl_ taught me the importance of freedom, of independence… and I've been torn from what is now most important to me."

"Are… are you saying that… you want this to end?" Will inquired tearfully, struggling to form the words he could never accept. His life had revolved around Elizabeth Swann since he had first met her; since they were both twelve years old. He understood that waiting for him had taken its toll on her- how could it not? -but he could not understand how she could give up on what they had. Had she expected the transition into this unconventional lifestyle to be seamless?

Elizabeth looked down at the grains of sand, unable to look at the emotional damage she was inflicting upon the man she loved. "Yes. Will, it has to. You're immortal. I am not. At one point you will be without me, and it will hurt less when my time comes if we separate now, anyway."

"When your time comes, you will be sent to the _Dutchman_, and we will be together every day for as long as this earth lasts. Please… you can't do this, Elizabeth," he pleaded expressively.

Against her will, Elizabeth, too, began to gently cry. "Look at me, with my culminating depression tying me down to land. When my time comes, I will not be at sea. I'll be here, and that means we will not be together."

"Then… this is really it, isn't it? After all we've been through, this is what ends it?"

"Yes." What more could she really bear to say?

A bitter flash danced across Will's dark eyes. "Is this about Sparrow?"

Elizabeth paused, thinking of Captain Jack Sparrow, the complete antithesis of her husband. There had been a time when she wanted to have nothing more than the captain to herself, in her arms, for they were very much alike: craving freedom, adventure and spontaneity. But those feelings of desire had been so deeply repressed that she could no longer admit them to herself. "No. This is about us."

The couple allowed a few minutes of silence to wash over them, until Will asked, "Is… is there anything I could've done- or could still do!- to have prevented these feelings of oppression?"

"I'm afraid not," replied Elizabeth, looking apologetically into his eyes. "We both did all we could in this dreadful situation. Neither of us asked for it, and I cannot tell you how sorry I am to only be adding to the hell you are forced to deal with."

"I understand…" he said sorrowfully. He did understand, and a large part of him had been expecting this. Their letters of correspondence had long lost their ardor; Elizabeth's eyes hadn't shined upon his arrival, nor had her beautiful smile showed the genuineness it had in the years gone by. Will was not surprised- but still unbearably wounded- and asked, "As for the chest? My heart still belongs to you, even if you do not wish to possess it."

Elizabeth's own heart shattered as the words left his lips. "I think you should have it. It shall only serve to remind me of the ways that I have abandoned you."

Will nodded somberly. "Then… then I'll beckon my father to raise the _Dutchman _as soon as possible."

"That may be for the best."

"I love you, Elizabeth. I'm so sorry for-"

"Don't apologize," she interrupted. "It was Jones's doing. But I love you too… Captain Turner. Always have and I always will."

With one last kiss, the couple bade each other farewell, neither of them quite believing what had just transpired.


	2. Off He Goes with His Perfectly Unkemp

**And... Jack appears. He's a fun but challenging character to write for.**

**The title of this chapter is from the Pearl Jam song 'Off He Goes.'**

Chapter Two:

Off He Goes with his Perfectly Unkempt Clothes

"Ah, Tortuga!" cried Captain Jack Sparrow as he sauntered down the unscrupulous, feculent streets of the dissolute island with Joshamee Gibbs, his first mate and best friend. "I've missed this joyous place, mate. 'Aven't been 'ere since Barbossa took me _Pearl_ that last time, I've got separation anxiety."

"Aye, Cap'n, but… what be the actual **purpose **of this venture? You seem a bit too preoccupied for the sakes of rum and uh… salty wenches," asked Gibbs.

Jack genially draped an arm around his first mate's shoulders as he explained, in his slurred yet eloquent fashion, "Well you see, since having freed me _Pearl _from its infernal glass bottle of a prison, we would be in desperate need to procure a hasty crew. Just 'cuz we sailed 'er here all on our onesies- which was, as you may recall, a rather dull excursion and one alarmingly devoid of any form of alcohol- don't mean we can take her any further. And where better to find a crew than in dear old Tortuga? This place has been more than good to us, Gibbs, and I believe some poor sailors may get the experience of a lifetime with… us. Savvy?"

With a necessary hesitation, Gibbs replied, "Aye! So… where do we begin?"

Jack's kohl-rimmed eyes fell upon his favorite pub on the island as a sly smile danced upon his lips. It was a hot-bed for violent altercations, loose sexual encounters, rowdy crime-committing crowds, alcohol abuse and, above all else, budding piracy. The pub had proved sufficient in gaining them crews on multiple other ventures, and Jack knew that this time would be no different. "Here!" he replied, with a flamboyant hand gesture toward the building.

Gibbs smiled in recognition. "But of course!"

The pair walked into the pub and Jack immediately ordered, "Gibbs! Start the search, as I'm long overdue for a drink."


	3. I Hope I Become a Ghost

**NOTE: Any confusion about the functions of the Fountain of Youth _will _be cleared up in future chapters.  
>The title of the chapter is from the Deadly Syndrome song of the same name.<strong>

Chapter Three:

I Hope I Become a Ghost

Angelica Teach was utterly exhausted. She had been wading out in the water for nearly a day straight, and the dangerous fatigue was rapidly having her learn the importance of thinking before acting. She knew she couldn't waste away on the island that Jack had deserted her on, yet she saw no other alternative than to swim out herself… and in doing so, she severely underestimated the distance of a ship she had spotted in the distance. Angelica was halfway between the ship- which seemed to be moving as slowly as she was- and the desolate strip of land, and she knew she hadn't a prayer of making it to either of them. But it wasn't within her character to give up. _"Come on, Angelica… Don't fall under… ¡Mantenes la cabeza alta!"_

She no longer had feeling in her arms and legs. She hadn't eaten or slept in the two days she'd been on the island, and this being day three closing in on four, Angelica was using her last reserve of energy. "Help!" she screamed, hoping, despite knowing otherwise, that the passengers on the ship in the distance would hear her. "Help! Please! Help me!" She felt her previously indelible strength draining. _"Come on, louder! Más fuerte, ¡gritas más fuerte!" _"HELP!" she continued to cry, but it was to no avail. The ship was too far and her voice too hoarse for any good to come of it, and the screaming was only wasting more energy. Angelica felt herself beginning to sink, and she couldn't physically prevent it from happening. "Te veré pronto, Padre…" she muttered. With that, Angelica Teach slipped into the warm Caribbean waters, sinking deeper and deeper into the underlying abyss until she lived no more.

William Turner hid away his marital woes and preoccupied himself with the duties on the _Dutchman_. He had informed his father and first mate, 'Bootstrap' Bill, of the preceding events and there was a great deal of expressed agony; but Will knew he could not let the miseries of his personal life affect his duties on the _Dutchman_. Davy Jones had reacted through raw emotion to the departure of his dear Calypso, and Will painstakingly tried to avoid repeating any actions of the previous captain of his ship.

There had been a storm in the Atlantic, and on this day his deck was even fuller than usual with souls caught in between life and death. He surveyed the bunch, bade each one farewell, and had members of his stalwart crew secure the ironically named lifeboats which would take them to the other side. Will stopped in his stride when he caught sight of something rather unusual aboard his vessel: a woman. "Hello, hello… may I inquire as to the events that brought you here, Miss…?"

"Miss Teach," she replied in a thick, Spanish accent.

"Miss Teach. Excuse my curiosity; it's just sort of rare to find women that meet their fates at sea."

Angelica nodded, with her wavy, cascading brown locks hanging drenched around her tanned shoulders. "Yes, I am aware. But I have spent the better half of my life at sea; it is only fitting that I should have died in the same place, although the cause wasn't as noble as I would have liked."

William was compelled; her sense of nobility reminded him of Elizabeth's. "What exactly happened, Miss Teach?"

"I was left on an island, alone to starve, by the man who had taken my innocence long ago, the man who had traded my father's life for my own. I made a naïve escape attempt, and… you can see how the story ended," she explained, with more than a hint of acidity in her tone.

"I'm very sorry to hear that," Will genuinely commiserated.

Angelica looked up at him, her dark eyes suddenly hopeful. "Is there any way you could… bring me back? I was not ready to die, Captain Turner, and living would be the ultimate revenge upon that scoundrel of a man."

Will gravely shook his head. "I can't go bending the rules here, Miss Teach… the last man in my position did just that, and… well… we all know the tale of Davy Jones, don't we? I'm sorry, but I cannot risk corrupting my duties."

The hope drained as quickly as it had arrived. "Is there any way, any way at all, to postpone my death? Please, Captain Turner."

"Well," he began, "you could sign onto my crew. It won't bring you back to life, but you won't be dead, either. I must warn you that it is a binding agreement, and once signed on you cannot go back until your time is up."

"In this case, I would like to sign onto the crew."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

Angelica nodded assuredly. "Absolutely."

"Well, Miss Teach," Will said, extending his hand out to shake hers, "welcome to the _Flying Dutchman_."


	4. All Ashore Are Drowned in the Seas

**Chapter named after a line in the Cheap Trick song, 'Everybody Knows.'**

Chapter Four:

All Ashore are Drowned in the Seas

Captain Jack Sparrow sat idly drinking a tin cup of rum aside Joshamee Gibbs, who was working with his typical devotion to gain them a crew. "How many we got so far, mate?" Sparrow asked in between gulps of the beverage.

"Right now… we have… ten. And after an hour's work, you would think that more sailors would jump at the chance to sail with the legendary Captain Jack," said Gibbs in disbelief.

"I haven't lost me shine… 'ave I?" Jack asked, sincerely worried about his spotless reputation for a brief moment.

"Not at all, Captain, in fact, I think you-"

Gibb's honest but obsequious reply was interrupted by a familiar voice calling, "Jack? Jack!"

The captain looked toward the origin of the voice and saw the beautiful, effulgent face that he'd missed so much; the face of one Elizabeth Swann. Jack smiled his irresistibly handsome smile, unable to conceal his delight. "Lizzie! 'Ow are ya, love, and what're you doin' in these parts?" he asked, immediately standing and extending his arms to her.

She approached him somewhat timidly, as if vacillating whether or not she should continue to make conversation. "I… I was hoping I'd run into you here, actually."

Jack continued to beam. "Oh really, now? I thought you'd be otherwise engaged waiting for dear William… say, don't you two have a son?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, he's off in the English school system." She looked down and timorously added, "His name is Jack. Jack Turner."

Sparrow was taken off guard. "Jack, as in…?"

"As in you, Captain Sparrow. You have done more than I could ever express for the two of us, and it was only right to name him after you."

"Well," he said, clearing his throat from the bald-faced discomfort of his suddenly sentimental feelings, "I'm quite honored, love, really, I am. And I 'ear dear William is doin' a wonderfuljob as Jonesy's replacement, honest."

"He is," Elizabeth said thoughtfully. "He's a fine man… too fine of a man. Perhaps that is a factor in why I had to end things between us."

Jack's deep, dark eyes widened. "Wot?" he asked, his voice emitting in a strange, high pitch.

"I had to end it; it was becoming exceedingly difficult to deal with my growing longing for freedom and my constant waiting around for a husband that I barely know anymore."

"Lizzie, darlin', you will be much better off without the eunuch… old… what's-his-face."

Elizabeth smiled. "Thank you, Jack. I hear you're looking for a crew."

"Aye!" chimed in Gibbs.

"I am," Jack confirmed. "And you would like to join, is that it?"

"Only if you'll have me."

"Lizzie, don't be ridiculous!" Jack cried, stumbling over to wrap her in a friendly, liquor-reeked embrace. "Of course I'll 'ave you! You're 'Lizabeth Swann, the Pirate King of the Brethren Court!"

"I think I owe that title to you, Mr. Sparrow," Elizabeth credited, squirming out of the crushing hug.

"Ah, yes… so is this why you hoped to see me, Ms. Swann? To join my rag-tag team of rapscallions? Or might there be an ulterior motive to your showing up in Tortuga, home of thieves and beggars? Did you miss me? Did you miss Gibbs? Did you miss the _Pearl_?" Jack's eyes fogged over with sudden lust as he looked her over. "Did you miss the feeling of a man? …The taste of a non-eunuch pirate who is fearsome and… huge-ish?"

Elizabeth's nose crinkled in disgust. "Absolutely not!"

"Ah…" sighed Jack in comprehension, his wily, crooked smirk spreading across his face. "Then you missed yourself, is that it?"

Unnerved by being so easily read, Elizabeth became defensive. "What do you mean?" she asked, although she knew exactly what he meant. Jack had always been able to decode her when nobody else would even try.

"You've been on that island, waitin' for yer precious eunuch-"

"Could you stop calling Will a eunuch?" Elizabeth interjected.

"Sorry, love," apologized Jack. "So where was I… right! You've been on that island, waiting for yer precious… Turner… and playing the role of the perfect, doting wife. You could've gone out sailing, but to where would you make port, and for what reason, other than that of food and supplies? I know you, darlin'. You're a free woman; tough, unyielding, determined, persuasive, sneaky… a lot like myself, might I add… and your character is quite contradictory to the role that dear William has imposed upon you, is it not? The _Pearl_, and therefore, by default, automatically, I, too, represent the glory days of your freedom, and you miss those days. You long for them. You hunger for freedom more than you hunger for William. And I don't blame ya, love. There ain't nothin' in this world compared to the feelin' of the open sea and the important purpose of being on it."

Elizabeth would never cease to be amazed at Jack's remarkable ability to see through her. "I can't lie to you, Jack. You've perfectly described it all."

Jack nodded. "That's because we're a lot alike, you and I."

"We really are."

"I… hate to interrupt your reunion here, but… when do we plan on leavin'?" Gibbs asked, directing his question to either of them.

"Let's see…" Jack began, and then continued to mumble incoherently for some time afterward. "…had ten… plus Liz so… eleven… and… don't have… Ragetti…. Pintel…. then… east winds blowing… ninety… 'ow 'bout tomorrow mornin' then?"

Gibbs and Elizabeth shared equally bewildered glances, and then said in unison, "Aye!"


	5. From the Moment I Could Talk, I Was O

**Chapter title's a line from the song 'Father and Son' by Cat Stevens.**

Chapter Five:

From the Moment I Could Talk, I Was Ordered to Listen

"Miss Teach!" called Captain William Turner, who was busy inspecting his crew's work and making sure to properly commend or scold each member.

"Yes, sir?" asked Angelica, dashing to her captain obediently and yet with her natural maintenance of an independent air.

"These knots you've tied… they're impeccable," he acclaimed as he tugged on the ropes before him. "What exactly was your position on your ship? I've had former captains aboard that never worked half as diligently and effectively as you do."

"I was the first mate aboard _Queen Anne's Revenge_, Mr. Turner."

Will thought for a moment, and then asked, befuddled, "_Queen Anne_… that's… that's Blackbeard's ship, is it not?"

"It was, yes," Angelica corrected sorrowfully.

"You were the first mate to the legendary Edward Tea- wait. Miss Teach, are you-"

"His daughter? Sí. And please, call me Angelica; that is my name."

Will was dumbfounded. "Angelica, if… if your father has passed on, why have I not had him aboard the _Dutchman_?" he asked, struggling to understand.

"He was not at sea when he died." She paused, wondering whether or not she should continue. "He… he was within the location of… of The Fountain."

"The Fountain of Youth?" inquired Will, awestruck by the woman on board.

"Yes. And he would be here if it weren't for that… that… I can't even force myself to utter his name!"

"Was it… was it some-"

"Oh, you know him well, Captain Turner," Angelica interrupted. "Hear tell he aided you in stabbing the heart of Davy Jones."

Will's eyes widened in surprise. "Jack? Jack took out Blackbeard?"

Angelica nodded. "Yes… Jack has done some low things in his life- as I'm sure you are not surprised to know- but this was the ultimate in betrayal!" she commented, her voice rising in boiling anger with each word she spoke.

"If you wouldn't mind… telling me how it happened…? I won't pry it out of you if you aren't comfortable," said Will, curious as he could be.

"If you really would like to know, then I don't mind."

"I guess I should start at the very beginning," Angelica began as she and Will walked along the deck. "I had grown up a girl of great faith, and I was ready to take the vows that would make me a sister of the Church when I was just a teenager." She paused momentarily to sigh, as if reflecting upon the simpler times, and then continued. "That was when I saw this man stumbling around on the outskirts of the convent-"

"Wait," Will interrupted. "Why was Jack in a Spanish convent?"

Angelica shrugged impassively. "He claims he mistook it for a brothel. Anyway, we talked for a while, and I fell victim to that charm of his. I became infatuated. He would visit me in secrecy every day, always with new stories of excitement and adventure on the seas. I couldn't believe the amazing life he led; I was so enchanted by his attitude. After a few months of this, he told me he thought he was falling in love with me; I told him I felt the same. We… did what instinct told us to do, and planned that I would run away with him on the _Pearl_ the next morning, and that I was to meet him by the docks. I arrived right on time, and I saw his mighty ship had pulled out of the dock and begun sailing away. Without me."

"Can't say that's any bit of a shock," scoffed Will. "But where does your father fit into all this?"

"I decided that I still wanted Jack's lifestyle, even if he wasn't going to be in it. So I joined my father's crew. I recently became re-acquainted with our mutual friend, and he was to help us locate The Fountain to save my father from the prophesy that a one-legged man would be his death. We didn't act fast enough, and the man had stabbed him with a poison-tipped sword. Not knowing this, I picked up the sword and became poisoned myself. Jack rushed to get water in the two chalices for the ceremony, and my father grabbed the one he believed would save him. After we had drank the water, Jack told us that I had taken the one that would save… and I gained all of the years from my father, watching him turn to dust. I would not forgive Jack for this, and he dropped me on some island, with nothing but a pistol with-"

"-with one shot," concluded Will. "That one legged man… his name didn't happen to be Hector Barbossa, did it?"

Angelica was amazed. "How did you know this?"

"The _Pearl_'s crew wound up aboard the _Dutchman_ as a result of your father's siege on the ship. They told me what had happened… some of them even signed onto my crew as you did, and Barbossa's fate has come up more than once."

"So he's still alive?" asked Angelica angrily.

"Yes," replied Will. "There's one thing I don't quite understand. If you drank the water, why are you here?"

"That's the same question I've asked myself a thousand times already. I've only reached the conclusion that the water preserves youth and extends life unless an outside force intervenes."

Will nodded, thinking it over, and finally asked, "Now, if it isn't too bold... I know of Blackbeard. He was a ruthless pirate. Why are you so maddened by what Jack did? Couldn't he, too, be considered an outside force?"

Angelica pointed toward Bootstrap, who was behind the ship's wheel. "That's why, Captain Turner. He was my father. Does that need any more of an explanation?"


	6. Choose Not a Life of Imitation

**Chapter title is a line from the song 'Can't Stop' by Red Hot Chili Peppers.**

Chapter Six:

Choose Not a Life of Imitation

"How does it feel, love… to be back on me majestic piece of wood?" Jack asked, the double entendre very much intended, when they had boarded the _Black Pearl_.

Elizabeth ignored the sexual undertones of the question and answered, "It feels like home. Thank you for this, Jack." She sent an appreciative smile his way, causing a not entirely unpleasant discomfort in the pit of his stomach.

"Yes, well, you had to do bloody somethin', didn't ya, besides wastin' away on that island over there… and I missed ya, Lizzie, I really did. It ain't all fun havin' no female companionship for stretches of time."

With an unwilling laugh, Elizabeth said, "Although I highly doubt I shall be providing the kind of female companionship you're accustomed to."

"Well, in any case, you're a much better sight than dear Gibbs… or any member of the crew, for that matter."

Another unwilling laugh. "Well… thank you, Jack… I think."

The captain leaned over the deck's railing, staring off into the distance as they continued to further themselves from the isle of Tortuga. "Welcome, love. As much as I enjoy the classy ridicule of yer sweet William, I should say, he was a skilled and fortunate man… to 'ave secured ye in 'is clutches, an' all. I respect him fer that… it's not the simplest thing in the whole world to do, I've noticed."

Elizabeth, too, leaned over the rail, and eyed him curiously. "I think that's enough rum for you, Captain Sparrow."

Jack turned slightly, so that his nightly gaze looked deep into her. "Oh but I mean it, love. All of it."

Elizabeth felt weakened by his stare and stammered, not knowing what to say. She breathed a silent sigh of relief when he tore his eyes away from hers.

"Love's a peculiar thing, innit? Very similar to the peculiarity of a rose… 'Tis a pulchritudinous, wonderful thing from far away, yet when ye go to grab hold of it, it goes on and pricks ya. And then it wizens, dies, an' turns a deathly black. Peculiar thing, love is… an' very interestin'," Jack said, voicing his cynical opinions on the emotion.

Confused, Elizabeth asked, "Just what do you know about love?"

"More than you'd think and more than I'd care to admit, darlin'."

"Well, as usual, you've orated to my exact feelings on the matter," she said sullenly. Jack offered her his personal bottle of rum, which she hastily snatched and took a swig of. "First James, then you, and then Will… every man I become somewhat romantically attached to winds up getting killed or hurt because of me."

Jack's eyebrows raised in intrigue. "You were 'somewhat romantically attached' to me, aye?"

She ignored his inquiry and continued on her maudlin speech. "I'm forgetting love, Jack. No more. I want to live as you live, free from emotion and caring for people. You have it figured out."

With Sparrow-esque exaggerated gesticulations he said, "Oh no, no, darlin', you don' wanna be like ole Jack… or at least not in that department."

"Why wouldn't I? Jumping from casual relations to casual relations, not a care in the world… when you care for someone, it's a painful disaster."

"Well…" Jack began, turning to her once more and stealing back his liquor, "Perhaps you've just been caring for men who are too easily put into said pain. Perhaps the right man for ye is someone who finds being hurt- and killed, might I add, as that one is a bit of an importance here- somethin' near impossible."

Elizabeth looked at him incredulously. "Surely you aren't referring to yourself, Jack."

"Not unless you want me to be, love."

She rolled her eyes. "You can be so charming, Jack, and then you continue with your relentless- and tasteless, might I add- flirtation."

"What do you mean, dearie? I was jus' bein' honest, an' perhaps it's an idea you should"- with this, his black stare fogged over lasciviously once more- "get on… top of," he persisted.

"I am a member of your crew, Captain Sparrow, not one of your conquests from Tortuga. Keep that in mind," Elizabeth retorted as she stormed off toward the others in the crew.

"Women certainly **do** vex all men…" Jack muttered to himself as he watched her stalk away. He had just given her total and unabashed honesty; what more could she ask for? A golden-toothed smile appeared as he looked down at his eudaemonic bottle. With a small sigh, Jack downed more rum, trying to forget the conversation he'd just taken part in.

* * *

><p>"Waiting on yer order, Captain," announced one of the newly recruited men of the <em>Black Pearl<em>. Jack remained in a pococurante haze, staring off at the merchant ship that was slowly edging toward them. "Captain," he urged. "What do you s'posin' we do? Does we fire?"

Finally taking notice of the crewman, Jack looked his way. "No, we do not fire. I think this may be the opportune moment to see what our Elizabeth can do," he replied, talking more to himself than to the man.

"What did you say?" asked Elizabeth, who had overheard him from nearby. "You don't expect me to go over on that thing and steal from those innocent merchants, Jack. You know I couldn't possibly."

"You led an attack against Cutler Beckett's armada, love; you can take some simple merchants."

"I won't do it, Jack. Beckett was an evil, sick man, but these merchants have done us no harm, and I will not deign myself to-"

Jack silenced her with a grimy hand to her lips. "Elizabeth Swann," he began. "You are a member of **my** ship, a fact you have just so reminded me of, and you will do as your captain commands. Now you will rid yourself of that loath attitude, get aboard that ship, hold them up without any immolation- if that makes you feel better- procure their trades and then you'll scurry on back to the _Pearl _from whence you came, and if any of those milksops dare resist, I'll be keepin' watch over 'ere, and I shall aid you in your excursion. You will do exactly as I have said, as I am Captain Jack Sparrow, and you are my subordinate on this vessel. Savvy?"

"Jack, I-"

"'Ere's a pistol. Assert yeself with it."

"I can't do- put me down!"

The captain lifted her from the deck and placed her upon the rail, where she shakily stood. He firmly placed one of the ropes along the mast into her hand and instructed, "Okay, now hold on and swing."

"What?"

With that, Jack unsheathed his sword and brought it forcefully down upon the end of the rope, hurling Elizabeth upward. "NOW SWING, LOVE, SWING!" he cried.

Closing her eyes tightly, Elizabeth used her feet to propel herself from the mast. She flew through the air, angling her agile body to control the line, and after a few close calls, she found herself hovering above the targeted merchant ship. With a sizeable intake of breath, Elizabeth dropped herself down, landing inelegantly onto the deck as she'd seen Sparrow do innumerable times before.

The crew on deck consisted of fifteen ragged sailors, all of whom stared at the mysterious and enticing woman who had seemingly fallen to them from the sky. "'Ello, Miss…" one of the crew finally and timidly greeted. "Might… might I ask from where you've come?"

Elizabeth looked at him with pity; he gave off a sincere, demure and awkward air, and she knew she'd have to abandon all morality in order to accomplish what her captain had commanded. "I've come from the _Black Pearl_," she announced confidently, pointing Jack's pistol at him.

The entire crew gaped in horror before they burst into laughter. "Oh, this wench has boarded our ship from the great _Black Pearl_!" goaded another of the men. "Sailing under Jack Sparrow, too, no doubt! Tell me, Miss, what's a lady doin' on a pirate ship? Sharin' a cabin with all the crew? The _Black Pearl_, imagine that!"

The fourteen others howled at his jeers, until Elizabeth unreservedly cocked her weapon and pointed it at each member, challenging them to say another word, her finger planted upon the trigger. "That's right, gentlemen. Take a look over there. There she is, the mighty _Pearl_. Note the worn black sails. Captain Jack Sparrow is indeed aboard the ship. Look and see for yourselves if you don't believe me. I'll wait."

The man who had greeted her unsteadily reached for his telescope, walked toward the rail and gazed through the glass. Upon seeing the legendary captain stumbling proudly about his sacrosanct craft, he retreated to his men. "She's right. That's the _Pearl_." His skin had paled and his voice had grown hollow in fear.

Elizabeth bore a self-righteous grin. "Now, I have been instructed to leave all members safe but to gather anything of value aboard this aberration of a ship's crew, and if you are to give me any problems at all, Sparrow **will** come, and I can assure you that none will be safe in his presence. So you have two options: surrender to me willingly, or surrender under attack by the entire body of the _Pearl_, most unwillingly." Feeling that something was missing, she added, "…Savvy?"

* * *

><p>Elizabeth swung back unscathed, bearing a sack of valuables and exports, to a ship of cheering men. Jack flashed her a crooked smirk, his eyes full of unbridled adoration, as he approached her and examined what she'd won. "I knew you had it in ya," he commended. When she smiled brightly at his light praise, he added accusingly, "…Pirate."<p> 


	7. I Couldn't Change, Though I Wanted To

**Note: A meaningful 'thank you' to all reviewers & readers!  
>Also, this chapter may be a little anticlimactic compared to six, but it's necessary to move the story along.<strong>

**Chapter title is a line in the song 'Glycerine' by Bush.**

Chapter Seven:

I Couldn't Change, Though I Wanted To

"Your turn, Captain Turner," prompted Angelica. The two were still strolling along the deck of the _Dutchman_, becoming better acquainted.

"What do you mean?" he asked, although he knew full well what she meant.

"Tell me: what is it that Jack has taken from you? Don't lie to me; I saw resentment in you when I brought him into the conversation."

"He hasn't taken anything from me," said Will, all too defensively. "At least…" he added, "I don't think he has."

"Was it not he who bound you to this ship?"

"He made me what I am because I had been dying; I had no choice in the matter, but Jack had me replace Jones instead of working as a crewmember under him," he snapped, this time defending Sparrow.

"There's a woman, isn't there?" asked Angelica curiously.

"Why would you ask that?"

"I, too, am a woman, Captain Turner. I'm more intuitive to these things."

Will sighed heavily. "Yes, there was a woman. My wife."

He paused, and Angelica nodded for him to continue.

"Her name is Elizabeth Swann. We'd met when we were both just children, and I was enamored with her from that very moment. Yet she was the governor's daughter in Port Royal and I just a blacksmith; I loved her from afar until adulthood, and I was content with that, given our social differences.

"Then Jack came into our lives. Elizabeth was kidnapped by Barbossa to reverse an ancient curse, and Jack was my only hope of saving her. By the time we had done so, Elizabeth and I had fallen in love. We went on two other grand adventures with the Captain afterward, each one substantially affecting our relationship. Elizabeth changed a bit more during each one. She was no longer the proper governor's daughter… she seemed to be a natural pirate. It only made sense; she'd been so fascinated by them as a child, and there she was, with the greatest pirate of them all. I tried to ignore the compatibility between them. But then I saw them engaging in a kiss. Elizabeth says it was to distract Jack while she set him in some trap… which is feasible, taking into consideration the outcome. But still, the kiss was much too passionate for that to be the sole motivation.

"During our third adventure, Elizabeth and I were married by Barbossa, ironic as it may be. I did my best to push all insecurities regarding her and Jack aside. After a mess of bribery and blackmail, we had all ended up on the _Dutchman_, fighting against Jones himself. When he saw that Jack held his still-beating heart, he resorted to killing me. As I lay dying, my father attacked Jones, Elizabeth tried to keep me alive, and Jack put into my hand a knife, pushing it into the heart for me… killing Jones, but fracturing my relationship with my wife.

"As you may or may not know, the captain of the _Dutchman _can only walk upon land once every ten years. Elizabeth, who had become so reliant on her freedom, was tied down to waiting on an island with our son- who is now away at school- just to see a familiar face in the interim of a decade. That was a lot to ask of her. I realized the change in her feelings when I read her letters to me. She'd write more of memories regarding the _Black Pearl_ and its captain than anything else. It seemed as if she were a child again, fantasizing about the pirate life. It destroyed me inside; I wanted so desperately to be what I once was, to be with her, but I knew that it just couldn't be.

"My last visit was quite recent. Elizabeth informed me that the waiting had been sending her into a depression and that she couldn't do it anymore. I understood." Will sighed once more, burying his head in his hands at the recollections.

Angelica looked on him with sympathy. "It's hard to say who did what wrong in that situation. It seems as if you all have your reasons, even if it hasn't ended the way you wanted it to."

"I fear she's back with Sparrow, Angelica."

"What?"

"I fear she went off in search of Jack; that she's back on the _Pearl _with him. And I can't get rid of that fear," elaborated Will, distressed.


	8. You & Me, We Come From Different Worlds

**NOTE: Again, thanks to all readers & reviewers!  
><strong>**Eight, like seven, is a very calm chapter; but I assure you, after this one, it'll pick itself up again.  
><strong>**  
>Chapter title is a line from the song 'Only Wanna Be With You' by Hootie &amp; the Blowfish.<strong>

Chapter Eight:

You and Me, We Come From Different Worlds

Early the next morning, the crew of the _Black Pearl _hurriedly labored over their individual duties, as their captain was in a busy kind of mood. He stood majestically behind the helm of his beloved ship with Elizabeth beside him, her feeling out of place from the implied favoritism of being the only crewmember not ordered into toil.

"Jack," began Gibbs as he rushed toward him, sweating profusely and bearing two full buckets of water. "The crew is beginnin' to believe that all this work is a bit… useless."

"No work is superfluous work, Master Gibbs, for I will not be captain of a slovenly ship, do you understand me?" Sparrow replied.

A grimace of confusion suffused the first mate's visage, but he said "Aye, cap'n", before returning to his chores.

Elizabeth eyed him inquisitively. "Jack, what **is** the purpose of all this? And…" -her voice caught a more cautionary tone- "why am I not a part of it?"

Jack turned to his side to face her and said, with a flamboyant gesture to the lower deck, "Are you envious of all that?"

"No, Captain Sparrow, but I don't want to be undermined as a result of my femininity or of your favoritism."

Jack grinned. "Favoritism? You should get that ego of yours in check, Ms. Swann, as this has nothin' to do with favoritism or any preferential treatment, in all cases. You led a very successful and somewhat peaceful little venture yesterday and I am rewardin' you for said success by sparing you the excessive labor."

Elizabeth's eyebrows furrowed, bemused. Other than the occasional pat on the back or brief word of encouragement, Sparrow was never one for the reward system. And she was right to be so skeptical; Jack wasn't rewarding her, nor was there an excessive amount of work that was mandatory to be done on his vessel. He needed to keep the crew occupied if he had any chance in pursuing Elizabeth, and it seemed apropos to do so after her fruitful plunder.

On some level, she knew about his clandestine actions. He made no secret his desire for her, but what she was completely unconscious of was how deeply this desire ran. Jack truly cared for her; he always had, and every adventure that they'd shared only brought those feelings to higher standing. But every adventure with her had also, against his will, made him more sensitive to boundaries and honor, and he knew that she was William Turner's; to proceed with displaying his affections would not have been the most honorable thing to do. Yet now Turner was out of the equation. Perhaps if Elizabeth had known this about his emotions, she would've let her ever-rising feelings for Jack become more prominent.

With a loud harrumph, Jack emptied the silence that had been accumulating. "So how are ya feelin' now that you're where ya belong?"

"Well," laughed Elizabeth. "I feel just that way: that I'm where I belong. I owe it all to you, Captain Sparrow. I cannot thank you enough."

"Dear Liz, I could not deprive such a skilled piratess her well deserved life of freedom."

"You've always believed in me, haven't you?" she asked, suddenly very serious.

"Always, love. Since I saw that medallion 'round your neck back in Port What's-It-Called, I knew you were much more than just a prim and pretty governor's daughter. You've taken everyone you meet by surprise, but not me. I know a great pirate when I see one… even if she's being defeated by a corset."

Elizabeth's hazel eyes grew soft as she let out a contemplative sigh. "Sometimes I wish Will had that state of mind. He was so against piracy, so disgusted by it all…"

"Makes where he ended up seem a bit ironic, does it not?" asked Jack.

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, very ironic."

Noticing the dampening of her mood, Jack said, "Buuuuut… we don't 'ave to talk about dear William."

"I know… but I just can't help but compare…" she said, almost in a whisper.

A heart-felt smile flashed across Jack's face for a brief instant before retreating to his customary wry smirk. He wrapped his free arm around Elizabeth's shoulder, drawing her into him, and this time she didn't try to squirm away. "Comparisons are either blessings or curses, love," he muttered.

She stood there on the upper deck, her body pressed against Captain Jack Sparrow's, her arms encircling his lean torso, and she buried her head in his chest. Elizabeth didn't plan to tell him she'd dreamed of him every night that she'd managed to sleep in the past ten years; she didn't plan to tell him that the one kiss they'd shared contained more fervor and excitement than any she'd shared with Will; she didn't plan to tell him that she could identify with him much more than with her husband. And this was when she realized why. They'd always had an unspoken understanding of each other, and he didn't need her words to see how important he was to her. Elizabeth sighed once more, this time contentedly, as she breathed in his masculine scent. '_This really is where I belong_,' she thought; and if she hadn't known better, Elizabeth Swann could've sworn she felt Jack Sparrow gently kiss the top of her head.


	9. A Man Like That's Like an Unmade Bed

**Chapter title's a line from the song 'Unmade Bed' by Sonic Youth.**

Chapter Nine:

A Man Like That's Like an Unmade Bed

"The captain would like to see you in his cabin, Miss," one of the new crewmen said to Elizabeth in the early evening. The seemingly eternal amount of chores had long run its course, and each member, Elizabeth included, was keeping to himself in hopes that the work wouldn't resurrect itself.

"Did he mention what for?"

The man shook his head. "Only that he wishes to see you."

Elizabeth stared off at the cabin door suspiciously and eventually sidled on toward it. With two sharp raps on the weathered wood, Jack opened the door to greet her in a grandiose, fluid movement. "Come on in, m'lady," he said, his voice uncharacteristically sensual and soothing. Once she had stepped over the threshold, he closed the door.

Elizabeth looked around, perplexed by the scenery: fabric draped over the portholes to create an illusion of night; candles burning on a small table; two chalices filled with wine, not rum. "Jack…" she asked warily, "what is all this?"

Jack sat down, cross-legged on the foot of his bed, leaning back pompously. "Come join me, love," he invited, his charcoal stare almost in a trance.

"Captain Sparrow, if you are trying to seduce me-"

"Wot would give you that idea, Lizzie?" asked Jack, in mock disbelief.

"Oh, I don't know… the candles, the dimness of the atmosphere, the surprisingly expensive liquor, your suggestive seating on the bed!" she rejoindered.

"I admit, it looks bad, but I assure you, my intentions are quite honorable."

"Do explain."

"Well, I realized that on a ship full of strange men, a vessel upon which you are familiar with only two inhabitants, wearing nothing but men's clothing- that you do seem to enjoy, actually- a woman of such emotions as yours must feel rather… de-feminized. I thought that you may find it refreshing to be reminded of said femininity that is so apparently in you, that the illusion of a… courtship… could make you feel more at home. It was between me and Gibbs, love, and I just assumed you'd rather have the illusion with ole Jack."

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed into chary little slits, but she took a seat beside him. "I suppose that's quite alright… although I wish you'd make up your mind already, Jack. Yesterday you found it perfectly acceptable to treat me as a brutish man, and today you treat me as some delicate little flower. I'm neither of those things. Find a middle ground."

"Will do, love," agreed Jack. He raised one of the chalices. "Cheers, darlin'."

"Cheers," Elizabeth complied, clanking her chalice with his. They promptly drank their wine down in its entirety, and Jack was forced to refill. There were a few moments of silence before she asked, "So, do you have any interesting stories to share with me? Any new sea-faring tales from the great Jack Sparrow?"

"Haven't done much since we last met, actually. Barbossa took me _Pearl_ again, but me and Gibbs got her back after Barbossa and meself took down Blackbeard… but other than that, not much, love," he replied lackadaisically.

Elizabeth spit out the wine that was halfway down her throat. "You took down Blackbeard?" she asked in amazement.

"Aye. Hector stabbed 'im, an' I used the Fountain of Youth to 'is disadvantage. I gave all 'is years to 'is daughter after she'd been poisoned… in savin' her, I killed 'im, which was a rather sore point for her, as you might imagine. Still, it was what any father should've done, and I jus' helped 'im along."

"This doesn't sound like 'not much', Jack."

"Well it's over with now, innit?" he said, attempting to avoid talk of Angelica.

"Yes, but… how did all of this happen? I didn't even know Blackbeard had a daughter."

Jack sighed. "Yes, well… he does. More drink then, love?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I've got enough, thank you. Now tell me about his daughter; I'm more than a bit interested."

Jack closed his eyes and sharply pinched the bridge of his nose, as if the subject was giving him a headache. "'Er name's Angelica. That's all you need to know," he said, almost affectionately.

"Jack…"

"I do not need to explain anything to you, darlin'. I'm your captain, remember? You obey **me**." When a hard stare was his reply, he exhaled and decided to speak quickly to make his speech near incoherent. "I knew 'er from 'er childhood days, and recently she kidnapped me, brought me aboard the _Queen Anne_ to help find the Fountain and save 'er father from bein' killed by Barbossa, Hector stabbed Blackbeard with a poison-tipped sword once we reached the destination, she tried to save him, exposed herself to the toxin, I gave her the right mixture from the Fountain, and she gained all the years from her father, but what about you, Lizze? How are you?"

"Why are you being so hasty? Why are you, the self-proclaimed greatest pirate in the world, not proud of all your fantastic adventures?"

"Not quite answerin' me question, love."

"And you're not quite answering mine."

Jack sighed. "That's fair." He took another large swig of wine, and crashed the chalice down on the table, preparing for the inevitable. "Once upon a time, I may have had stirrings for the bonny lass."

Elizabeth's eyes widened in a surprise that concealed any of her budding jealousy. "Stirrings, as in…?"

"As in cared for, as in had feelings for, as in desired, Lizzie, do I 'ave to bloody spell everythin' out for you?" he burst, his voice gaining the gravel it always did when he raised it.

"You loved her, didn't you, Jack?"

"I abandoned her as a result of said stirrings. Then she came back into me life, and I abandoned her on the same island me an' you were stranded on."

"Why didn't you make things up to her?"

"I didn't bloody want to!" he cried, the gravel increasing even more so. He breathed out harshly, showing more emotion than she'd ever seen from him. "She was all angry 'bout her father an' I realized afterward that my previous stirrings for her had disappeared. Now we will make this topic disappear, savvy?"

Elizabeth looked at him with sympathy. "It's okay, Jack. You can tell me about her," she prompted.

"I don' wanna talk 'bout 'er, you naggin' ole sod," he muttered. With that, Elizabeth stood up and walked toward the door, and as she was about to exit he cried, "Wait, wait, don't leave, Lizzie!"

She turned to him and said with the utmost patience, "Yes?"

"The reason they'd disappeared was 'cuz… was 'cuz since my last dalliance with 'er, I'd met a female… of the opposite sex… a lady… a woman… a grown-up girl-"

"Yes, she is a woman, I understand that much!"

"-a woman I cared for much more than her."

Elizabeth processed the words and sat beside him again. She couldn't believe that this was the notorious, swash-buckling Captain Jack Sparrow she was talking to. His vocal deliverance was making him sound so naïve, so vulnerable; so unlike his authoritative swagger made him out to be.

"See why I said you don't want to be like me, darlin'?" Jack asked. "You can't hide yourself from these things. Doin' so only makes ya feel helpless and weak, as you're fightin' a battle that no man… or woman… can win."

"I have to say, Jack," began Elizabeth, avoiding eye contact with the captain. "That this is quite a coincidence."

"How so?" He, too, was trying his best to steer clear of the eyes.

"Because I met a man I care for much more than Will."

They let a comfortable silence hang in the candle-illuminated air for a few seconds, until Jack asked, "Lizzie?"

She lifted her head to find him staring at her. She stared back and asked timidly, "yes?"

With no further words, Jack tempestuously seized her beautiful face within his rough hands and pulled her toward him, crushing his lips down onto hers. When they stopped their kiss to catch a collective breath, Elizabeth let out an unwilling moan before saying "Jack… we can't do this…"

Taking her logic as a challenge, Jack forcefully laid her on his bed and pinned her down between his arms before continuing his oral assault. The next time they stopped, she looked up at his ruggedly gorgeous face; she felt his warmth on her body, along with her own; she could still taste his liquor-soaked yet aphrodisiacal lips, and every ounce of reserve she possessed melted away. Instead of a verbal reply, Elizabeth pulled his face down to her own.


	10. Damn My Heart Gone Deaf

**Chapter title is taken from the song 'I Should Have Known' by the Foo Fighters.**

Chapter Ten:

Damn My Heart Gone Deaf

"You asked for me, Captain Turner?" reported Angelica as she opened the door that led to William's cabin.

"Yes…" he said, somewhat distractedly. "I have to show you something."

Angelica entered the deceivingly large room and closed the door behind her. Eying a peculiarly shaped object she asked, "It… wouldn't happen to be the large thing covered by the sheets, would it?"

Will stared intently down at it. "Yes, it is. Remember what I mentioned in our conversation yesterday, that I've been concerned about Elizabeth and Jack?"

Nodding, Angelica was completely clueless as to why he was bringing this up.

"Okay. Well, I have a way to find the truth, and I want your opinion on it." With that, Will unveiled the shrouded object. It was an alignment of three glass orbs, the largest being in the center and the others, about half the centerpiece's size, were connected on opposite sides by a copper-esque metal that seemed to change hues. While the two side orbs were transparent, the center orb displayed a rotating, mystically colored globe of the world.

"Will, what is this?" demanded Angelica, her intrigue causing her to forget formalities and use his given name.

"This is how Davy Jones controlled the sea. Much like Jack's compass, when your hands are placed around these two side pieces, the center shows you any ship you desire to know of… that's currently on the sea, that is, along with its destination, its departure, and just about anything else you may need to know. The metal is somewhat encoded, as I am the only one it works for, and I've been wondering whether or not I should use this for my personal reasons. It seems a bit dishonorable," explained Will.

Angelica circled around the device, running her hands over the curves of the orbs, completely dumbfounded. "You must use this," she urged, not taking her eyes off the globe.

"Are you positive?" he hesitated.

"Yes!"

With a deep intake of breath and another brief hesitation, Will enclosed his hands around the side pieces, causing Angelica to hurry to his side. After intense concentration, an unimpeachably clear moving image of the _Black Pearl_ sailed into vision in the center orb. As Angelica looked on with complete rapt and enthrallment, Will tightly closed his eyes, as if in immense pain. "Show to me each individual member of this vessel," he finally commanded, and upon his vocal emission, an image of every member appeared… it was not lost unto him that Elizabeth Swann appeared at the top of the list, one behind Joshamee Gibbs, and two behind Jack himself. "That's her… that's Elizabeth," Will pointed out to Angelica, the anger and tension in his voice palpably increasing. Cinching his eyes shut once more, Will gritted through his teeth, "Show to me the current whereabouts of Elizabeth Swann."

When his eyes opened, he was greeted by the vision of his darling wife fast asleep, with strong and familiarly tattooed arms around her, brown dreadlocks belonging to the equally slumberous captain partially hanging over her shoulder.

Will stared at the orb in disbelief and released the outer pieces, causing the image to disappear. Running a frustrated hand through his dark hair, he let out an agonizing scream before firmly grabbing Angelica by the shoulders. "Just what the hell am I supposed to do now?" he cried in outrage.

"Tomorrow you must transport yourself onto the _Black Pearl_ and confront them both!"

"I'll confront **her**," he decided. "But I'm going to kill **him**!"


	11. I Get What I Want & I Never Want It Agai

**NOTE: Special thanks to Mittenzs for all the reviews! :)**

**Chapter title is taken from the song 'Violet' by Hole.**

Chapter Eleven:

I Get What I Want and I Never Want It Again 

Elizabeth Swann awoke the next morning feeling completely calm… until she took notice of the arms around her waist. Seeing the branded, tattooed flesh of her embracer, she jerked herself upward, causing him to turn over, completely unaware of her movements. Elizabeth stared in horror at the revelation that they were both completely nude, and she suddenly felt very sullied and embarrassed. Her first instinct was to scream; to scream at herself for letting her feelings overpower her morals, to scream at Jack for having not stopped it, to scream at Will for not being there, to scream at Gibbs simply for the sake of having someone else to scream at. But she couldn't risk waking up Jack; not when she needed time to think.

She slowly crawled out of the bed, haphazardly searched the floor for her clothes and instantaneously threw them on. Then, despite her best efforts, Elizabeth found herself gazing at the bare form of Captain Jack Sparrow, allowing herself to briefly flood with her rushing desires… and then she truncated them all. She knew she had to organize her thoughts. Rummaging through the captain's bedside drawer, Elizabeth found a crumpled, yellowed sheet of paper, a small quill and an inkwell, and then ran out to the upper deck, where she could be left to herself… relatively, of course. One of the crewmembers was manning the wheel, but aside from the necessary exchange of pleasantries, no words were spoken between them.

Elizabeth stood over the railing and frantically wrote down her thoughts, in turn smudging her skin with the black of the inkwell. She had to get the worries out. While partaking in her therapeutic writing, she journeyed quickly past stages of grievance: denial, guilt, anger, misery, acceptance…

She'd lost track of how long she had been up there jotting down her thoughts when a strong hand fell on her shoulder. "'Ello, love," greeted the hand's owner.

Startled, she shoved the inkwell and quill into her pockets along with the paper, now smudged from the not-yet-dry text. "Yes!" she responded, wheeling around to face Jack.

His visage became hazed over with his now customary yearning, and he bit his lower lip to conceal his now usual grin. With a nearly animalistic zeal, Jack thrust his lips onto her neck, causing her body to stiffen with reluctant delight.

"Jack… stop it…" she pleaded. "Jack… stop!"

The surprised captain took a showy step back and asked "What may be the trouble, dear Lizzie?"

"We can't do this," she replied firmly.

"And may I ask why not?" Jack almost sounded offended.

"I am still technically married, Captain Sparrow. This is a betrayal against my husband."

"Ah, so you're upset that the conventional means of mar-ri-age have been interrupted by the lecherous behavior of dear ole Jack, is that it? I'm sorry, love, but as conventional was never an option for the two of you, your infidelity is a small, measly, paltry little cog in the works of your unconventionality, and that being said, I'd be perfectly content to be your… mistress." He frowned at his inability to find a more suitable word, but shrugged it off perfunctorily.

Elizabeth sighed, growing weary with his constant manipulation and equivocation.

"I know your dear husband," Jack continued, "and he is a magnanimous, noble soul who'd want his darling wife to be as happy as she could be, and-"

"You can't talk your way out of my decision, Jack," she interrupted. "We can't do this."

Unnerved but undaunted, Jack said, "But love, you're forgettin' one thing… you care for me. Ye said it jus' last night, and now that the word's out, you won't be able to resist me. I know how you feel, an' I will use that to my advantage."

"Then I will deny everything."

"Admit it, love. You still want me, despite everythin' you're saying. Forget honor and nobility; Will knows you've left him. Forget it all… forget it all an' jus' tell me the truth, tell me you still care for me. I know you do," he challenged smugly.

"I know otherwise."

"Then maybe a visit to the brig will change your mind, eh, lass?" Jack suggested casually.

"What?" she asked, taken off-guard.

"Andrews!" Sparrow called, and the crewman behind the wheel rushed to his side.

"Yes, captain?"

"Take this lyin' wench to the brig. An' I'm the only one who will let her out; any who try to help her will join her. Savvy?"

"Aye aye, sir!" The proportionally stronger man grabbed Elizabeth and led her down the steps, with her kicking and screaming all the way.

"Jack! You can't do this… release me! Let me down! Damn you, Jack!"

The captain stared contentedly at the spectacle, laughing softly to himself. "Not until you learn of honesty, darlin'!"

* * *

><p>Elizabeth, sulking alone in the cold, damp confines of the dreaded brig, tore out her writing utensils and dashed down a few more thoughts. Of course she still wanted Jack. She wanted him more than ever. The previous night's liaison only proved what she had surmised to be true all this time: the fact that yes, she had been falling in love with Jack since she'd met him. But she couldn't let him know that. She was still somebody's wife… albeit an estranged wife, but a wife nonetheless. Even after a civil separation, Elizabeth could not forgive herself for being unfaithful to Will… perhaps because she'd been fantasizing about Jack since before she was even married. After assiduously going over and correcting her previously smudged handwriting, she let her impromptu journal entry air dry; and then it resided clutched in her hand as she did the only thing one could really do within a jail cell: she got some more sleep.<p>

* * *

><p>Staring down at the <em>Black Pearl<em> from his alignment of paranormal orbs, Will snarled, "Show to me the current whereabouts of Elizabeth Swann!" He was shown Elizabeth sleeping unfittingly peacefully within the moldy, uncomfortable settings of the brig. Confused by her surroundings but nevertheless indignant, he ordered, "Take me there!"

Will was instantly transported within the brig's cell. He felt a sense of déjà vu on the ship, with all the familiar sounds of a bustling crew overhead, but refrained from reminiscing. Ready to wake her up and start the inevitable screaming match, something within him snapped, sending his buckled knees to rest upon the remainder of the corroded bench that his wife was silently lying upon.

He looked her over. She was so breath-taking, so stunning- even in men's breeches and boots. Will cradled his head in his hands, contemplating all of the past events that had brought him to this lowly state, and came to the disturbing conclusion that he wouldn't have done anything differently given the chance. It was then that he noticed the crumpled up piece of parchment in Elizabeth's limp hand. Curious, Will gently removed the paper from her, smoothed it out, and began to read what was written:

_"I never assumed I would be one to seek ventilation from a quill and a paper, but I feel I've nowhere else to turn and my head is fogged over with bustling confliction. The events that transpired with Jack have left me in a haze. I may not understand how I allowed myself to be so unfaithful to a husband that I am still married to and in love with, but Jack and I felt so right when we were together, as I always knew we would. I'm afraid I cannot ignore it."_

_"The guilt is destroying me. Being with Jack has always made me feel the freedom and sheer exciting bliss I've wanted since childhood, but I love Will too much to keep feeling this way…"_

A lump gathered in Will's throat as he read the last line, but he forced himself to turn the parchment to its other side and continue reading Elizabeth's eloquent words.

_"I don't understand what went so wrong to bring me to this position of infidelity… Jack seems utterly proud of himself, and last night we both expressed the genuine and mutual care we harbor in our hearts for the other… this is all too real. I am not just some conquest of his. Yet I shouldn't justify Jack's actions when I should be justifying my own._

_"I now sit locked in the Black Pearl's brig as punishment for denying the feelings I'd expressed. I cannot lie to Jack. He sees through it all. I'm too far in to remove myself now… I cannot free myself of thoughts of Will. Still, I cannot bring myself to feel sorry for my feelings toward Jack, but only for my actions."_

After close interpretation, Will shoved the quill into his hand and furiously wrote his own message, using the last of the space on the parchment.


	12. He Who Tries Will Be Wasted

**Chapter title is taken from the song 'Man in the Box' by Alice in Chains.**

Chapter Twelve:

He Who Tries Will Be Wasted

Strolling down the wooden steps that led to the loathsome brig, Captain Jack Sparrow called, "You sick of imprisonment, Lizzie? Just confess!" When there came no reply, he looked quizzically at the shoddy cage-like structure to find her lying unconscious. He turned with a shrug to head back when he heard the unmistakable sound of scraping steel. Pivoting to face the noise, Jack was greeted by a perfectly crafted sword, the blade pointed threateningly at his throat.

"Ah," he said, swallowing down hard and putting his hands up, as if surrendering. "Dear William. …So good to see you."

"You dirty, disgusting, bloody pirate," Will snarled, circling around Jack, his sword still pressed against his flesh.

"With all due respect, dear Captain Turner… you're not really a fine example of anti-piracy, are ya?" Jack smiled weakly, hoping to add some levity to the situation.

"You violated my wife, and now you've locked her up on this ship of yours!" Will accused, possessed by his own indignation. "Give me one good reason to spare your life!"

Jack shrugged, his weak grin clinging to any power it had against wavering. "Old time's sake, mate?"

"You're going to have to do better than that, Jack!" Will cried, and thrust the weapon forward. Ducking the stab just in time, Jack was avoided, and the sword had dug into the wood behind him.

Jack retrieved the weapon and made an aggressive swipe at Will, slashing open the front of his loose shirt. "Do not mess around with me, boy…"

"What's the most you can do, Jack? Stab me. I can't die; have you forgotten? You can't beat me."

"I beat the immortal Barbossa, did I not?"

Will glared at him challengingly. "And that wouldn't have been successful without my help."

Jack looked around nervously for any type of leverage and, finding none, plunged the sword into Will's chest, for no reason other than an opportunity to flee the scene. But as Jack was on his way out, Will transported himself onto the stair in front of him. "As I said," Will icily spat, removing the sword from his torso, "you can't beat me." He propelled the sharpened steel into Jack's direction; with a maladroit dodge, Jack tumbled down the steps, narrowly missing his death.

"Can't…. can't we talk this over, mate?" Jack pleaded, rolling around on the ship's floor to avoid more well-aimed blows.

"We're past the discussion stage, Jack!"

The captain of the _Black Pearl_ jumped up to his feet and delivered a firm kick to Will's chest, sending the enraged man flying onto the steps behind him and buying Jack some time to distance himself. As he hid behind a bundle of decrepit barrels, Will sent the sword hurdling through the air, skimming over the notorious captain and knocking off Jack's tri-corner hat, in effect pinning it to the ship's wall.

This was certainly enough to stir Elizabeth from her sleep. "Jack?" she asked groggily.

"A little busy, love!" he cried, attempting to free the weapon.

Jerking her head to the other side, Elizabeth was overcome by surprise. "Will? What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to kill Jack!" he screamed, lurching forward in belligerent, blood-thirsty steps.

"No, Will! Please talk to me; I can explain all of this!"

"You'll get yours later!" he barked at his wife, grinning with violent hunger at the sight of Jack struggling to tear the sword from his ship.

"Listen to her, Will!" said Jack, genuinely frightened for his life. "Let her explain."

Instead of listening to anyone, Will sent his fist flying into Jack's stomach, causing him to keel over in pain. "Please, mate…" he sputtered through the agony.

Elizabeth had read the note Will had left her; it simply said, 'This isn't your fault. It's Jack's. He'll get what he deserves.' "Will, don't!" she begged. "This isn't just his doing, I'm to blame… more so than Jack! Deal with me first."

"Too late for that, Elizabeth," he said emotionlessly as he effortlessly retrieved the sword.

"Will, don't!"

This time, it **was** too late. The sword had already penetrated the flesh of Jack's chest, and the dark vicinity of the tragic scene was filled with sounds; the sound of the alerted crewmen trying to break through the barricaded door that led to the brig; the sound of Will panting in disbelief at what he'd done; the sound of Elizabeth screaming, ordering for a way out of the cage, cursing Will; the sound of Jack gasping for breath.

But it was the sound of Gibbs yelling "Aye, what be going on down there, Jack?" that brought Will to his senses.

"Jack… Jack, please stay with me!" Elizabeth wept, her hand outstretched through the bars of her cell. He wheezed, but reached his hand for hers in response.

Seeing the look in Jack's eyes as the light slowly faded from them, Will asked in astonishment, "You two… you two truly care for each other, don't you?"

"Yes," gasped Jack, that feeble grin still pasted onto his face.

Upon hearing his struggle to form words, the very thing at which he was so inhumanly gifted, Elizabeth broke down. "You can't leave me," she moaned. "Not you, too… come on, Jack, fight!"

"I'm afraid I've had me last stand, love," he managed to choke out, his eyes resisting the urge to remain open.

"Elizabeth," said Will, with a fearful look in his eyes. "Please forgive me."

She turned to her husband from behind bars, shooting him a cold stare. "Mr. Turner," she acknowledged formally. "Have you any method of reversing this?"

Will stared down at Jack, who was helplessly losing his well-lived life.

"Mr. Turner, we don't have much time, help him if you can!"

Coming out of his haze, Will announced, "We have to be aboard the _Dutchman._ I can take you both there…" After a brief search of Jack's trinkets, he found the keys to the cell and expeditiously freed Elizabeth. "Take my hand…"

"Will…"

"Trust me on this!"

"Will!" she repeated, this time pointing apprehensively at Jack.

He looked toward him, the captain's body now limp and devoid of any vigor. Will temporarily lost the ability to move in his crushing regret. Elizabeth knelt down beside Jack, the knees of her breeches becoming stained with blood. She clutched his wrist and firmly pressed down, desperately searching for any sign of life. "No, Jack…" she sobbed.

"We have to go to the _Dutchman_. Now!" pressed Will, his voice rising.

"You killed him, you selfish idiot!" Elizabeth screamed. "How could you do this? After all he's done for you?"

"If you want any hope of him returning, we must go to my ship, and go to her now!"

Sensing the urgency and genuine remorse in his tone, Elizabeth gently kissed Jack on his inert lips. "Goodbye, Captain Sparrow…" she muttered. Elizabeth rose slowly and tentatively gave her hand to Will, not taking her eyes off the deceased captain for one moment.

Inhaling deeply, Will mustered up enough energy to transport the three of them onto the _Flying Dutchman_.


	13. Breathing is the Hardest Thing to Do

**Chapter title is from the piece of musical perfection 'Interstate Love Song' by Stone Temple Pilots.**

Chapter Thirteen:

Breathing is the Hardest Thing to Do

"So. You are Elizabeth," said Angelica with some audible bitterness after curt introductions were made upon their abrupt arrival on the _Flying Dutchman._ They had boarded the ship hours prior; Jack had become animate as soon as they had appeared on the ship, but he was merely in between the distinct stages of life and death; Will knew he had to be brought to life: complete, unmitigated life. They had been in the captain's cabin and Elizabeth was left out on the lower deck, left to do nothing but reflect until Angelica approached her.

"How do you know my name?" she asked, startled.

"William told me all about you. My name is Angelica Teach."

"In that case, Jack has told me all about you."

The comment brought pain to Angelica, but she hid it well. "I saw Sparrow brought onto the ship. I intend to find out why, but I do not want him to know of my fate. Explain," she said, as more of an order.

"Captain Jack Sparrow is dead," Elizabeth seethed at the words.

Angelica could hardly conceal her smile. "Serves the selfish cabrón right," she laughed. "How did he die?"

Elizabeth was taken aback by her brutality. "Do not rejoice in the captain's demise, Angelica," she warned.

"I take it that in his tales about me Jack managed to leave out the parts that would make me seem the victim? How he abandoned me once through the _Pearl_ and once on an island? How he killed my father?" she angrily demanded.

"No," Elizabeth replied coolly. "He did not omit those pieces of information, and he thoroughly expressed to me his guilt and motives for doing such. I am deeply sorry for your loss- I know how the loss of a father hurts- but Jack Sparrow is a good man."

"So naïve, Ms. Swann," Angelica sighed. "I thought that too. But men like Sparrow will not fall in love. If you are looking for what you had with Captain Turner, forget it. Sparrow will throw you on an island somewhere with nothing but a pistol if it means avoiding feeling anything."

Elizabeth turned away from her, leaning against the rail to stare out into the sea.

Angelica patted her on the shoulders and uttered her parting words: "Just wait, Ms. Swann. You'll end up exactly like me."

After a few minutes of solitude, Elizabeth felt a strong tap on her back, and she wheeled around to see the pained face of Bootstrap Bill staring into her eyes. "Elizabeth," he said sorrowfully. "How could you do this to our William?"

Tears inadvertently spilling over, Elizabeth said, "Please, Mr. Turner, we can talk about this at another time."

"Yes, I heard of what was done. And as much as I ache for both of you, what you did to my son is unforgivable!"

"**Please**, Mr. Turner, I cannot do this right now…"

"How do you think Will feels?" he persisted. "Being forced to save the man who stole his wife away?"

"Mr. Turner, please!" she yelled. "Nothing stole me but the sea. Freedom stole me. Your son is a wonderful man, and part of my heart will always belong to him, but I… I couldn't… I couldn't pretend as if I was happy. And I couldn't pretend as if I'd never had feelings for Jack. If that makes me a horrible person, so be it." Her tough speech was softened by the wiping of tears from her face.

'Bootstrap' Bill Turner shook his head in dismay, but finally granted her clemency by retreating to the helm of the ship.

Elizabeth had other conversations of the like; the former _Black Pearl_ crewmen who had inveigled their way onto the _Flying Dutchman_ instead of the great beyond had many a question for their sweet Lizzie. While some offered their commiseration, others offered their vituperative contempt. Emotionally spent, Elizabeth hung her head over the railing, tightly closing her eyes, attempting to escape the cold reality she was in.

When Elizabeth felt yet another tap on her hardened shoulders, she felt as if she were going to explode. She couldn't bear another visit- be it hostile or amiable- from anyone who knew of her complicated past. If she couldn't be with Jack, she just wanted to be by herself. Yet her unpleasant demeanor faded as she saw who was standing before her.

It was the sea goddess Calypso, better known as Tia Dalma when in her human form, as she was at this moment. "Elizabeth Swann…" she said, her Caribbean accent very pronounced, drawing closer to the woman.

"Calypso… what are you doing here? And in human form?"

"Captain Turna sent fer me. Him tell me that Jack lay dying, and that I be him only chance at comin' back. William's fatha told me of the events that led to the killin', and-"

"Were you able to save Jack?" Elizabeth interrupted excitedly.

"Do you truly care for Captain Sparra, Ms. Turna?"

Elizabeth looked down, ridden with the guilt of hearing her legal surname.

"Do you want to be with him? Does him want to be with you? You wear the face of a wo-man stricken by love… but your eyes do not reveal the same emo-shon. You feel guilty, Ms. Turna. Before you find out the fate of your Jack Sparra, there be someone with whom you must speak."

"Will…" whispered Elizabeth, as tears began to sluice from her sorrowful eyes once more.

"That be him… and this be him right now, Ms. Turna," said Tia Dalma, gesturing toward Will, who was emerging from the secrecy of his cabin with a solemn expression tightened over his face. "A touch of destiny," she spoke almost suggestively as the former couple came into contact and she slowly walked away.

"Elizabeth, I'm so sor-"

"There is no need for apologies, Will. I hurt you."

"You did, and I won't sit back and act as if you didn't," Will admitted. "But I had no right to go after Sparrow the way I did."

"The same can be said for me, in a much different context."

"I would have been blind to have not seen the budding romance between you and Jack. I always knew it was there and I always tried to pretend as if it wasn't. This shouldn't have been a surprise to me."

"What are you saying, Will?"

"I'm saying that… I love you, Elizabeth Swann. And I want you to be as happy as you can be. And since unforeseen circumstances took me away from you… if Jack makes you happy, then I give you my consent to be with him. You have no need for any further guilt."

Relief washed over Elizabeth like a rainstorm, and her teary-eyed, joyful paroxysm showed just that. "Oh, Will… thank you," she whispered through the emotion, wrapping him in a warm embrace.

Will reluctantly wrapped his arms around her, trying to resist the desire to breathe in her intoxicating scent that he was so used to; trying to be a friend when he knew with every fiber of his being that he'd never be content to be anything less than her husband. "I might as well tell you the information you've been waiting to hear."

Elizabeth looked up at him hopefully.

"As you've probably inferred from my expressed reasoning… Tia Dalma was able to revive Jack. He's in the cabin, and I'll send you both back to the _Pearl_ as soon as you're ready."

"Thank you, Will… thank you so much," she said through even more tears of gratitude.

Will halfheartedly smiled. "As long as he makes you happy…" He pulled her in for another embrace, and softly added, "I'm just sorry I'm no longer the one who does that."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: We're not quite finished; one more chapter to go, me hearties.**


	14. I Don't Mind Sailing on Your Endless Sea

**A/N: And so it comes to a close. Thanks to all those who have stuck through it all!**

**Chapter title is from the song 'A Stitch in Time' by Smashing Pumpkins.**

Chapter Fourteen:

I Don't Mind Sailing on Your Endless Sea

"Alright, then, bring me back to my ship!" valiantly demanded Jack Sparrow as he took his first step out of the captain's quarters on the _Flying Dutchman._

"Jack…" whispered Elizabeth, in an adoring tone laden with sentiment.

Will successfully veiled his bitterness upon seeing the two pull into a strong embrace. Angelica, watching secretly from afar, worked to do the same. Seeing the adulation that Jack and Elizabeth had for each other first-hand, she wondered if she had been wrong; maybe Elizabeth wouldn't end up as she had.

"Jack," said Will as he strode over to the infamous pirate. "If you **ever** hurt her… you can consider it in your plans that I will kill you again… and you won't be coming back."

His golden grin strong once more, Jack answered, his arm draped firmly around Elizabeth's shoulder, "I can assure you, that won't be necessary, mate… but a deal is a deal, so…" He affably held his hand out to his rival, and their accord was sealed with a shake.

"Are you ready to go back?"

"Well, I think so!" said Jack boisterously.

"Before we go… Will," said Elizabeth, "I… I never meant for it to end the way it did. You deserve to be treated better, and I can't express enough how sorry I am for hurting you."

"I understand, Elizabeth. You have no need to explain yourself now." That is what Will said… but he didn't quite mean it.

She smiled docilely and gripped his hand. "Now I'm ready."

* * *

><p>Will safely delivered them back to the brig of the <em>Black Pearl<em> and departed as soon as possible. Jack and Elizabeth stood facing each other, each mulling over the recent events, until he said, "Lizzie… you'd better get back in that cell, love. You still 'aven't made your little lie a truth, and I will not tolerate the blatant, abhorrent and repulsive trait that is dishonesty."

Elizabeth smiled. "Alright," she acquiesced, "you win. I want you, Jack." She wrapped her arms around his neck and continued. "I'm unable to resist you, and I'd be honored to have you as my mistress."

Jack grinned broadly. "That's more like it, darlin'." After a brief hesitation, he added, "You know, Lizzie… I really… I rather fancy you." His euphemism was apparent; the esteeming look in his raven stare was unmistakable, and the message behind his words was not beyond Elizabeth's comprehension; she knew him too well.

"I rather fancy you, too, Jack."

Jack lowered his lips to her skin, and this time Elizabeth did not object.

* * *

><p>"So this has all been resolved, then?" Angelica asked Will when he had returned to his vessel.<p>

"I guess it has. I just wish it had a different resolution."

Angelica nodded. "Me too…" she muttered. "But you know you did what was best, as now you can try to move past all this. You have an eternity to make the effort, Captain Turner," she added, trying to be a bit more optimistic.

"I suppose you're right, Miss Teach. Time heals all wounds, does it not?"

"Of course it does," Angelica replied, reassuringly taking hold of his hand.

She knew what she said was complete mendacity. Will knew it, too. Yet somehow he believed that maybe, just maybe, he had a chance of overcoming this depression. Angelica still had a minimum of a century left aboard his ship… perhaps her empathetic presence could alleviate the unrequited feelings and send him down the road to closure.


End file.
